The UF Health Cancer Institute provides an opportunity for UF graduate students to serve as interns with the Federal Relations team in the University’s Washington, DC office. The interns primarily focus on legislative support related to cancer health policy, cancer prevention and telehealth initiatives in rural communities. Interns gain unique exposure to the U.S. government’s inner workings in advancing our education and research missions.
These internships are an integral and important part of the team charged with proactively supporting the University of Florida’s agenda on a national level and ensuring UF is a leading expert voice on important issues. As a representative of UF, interns are expected to conduct themselves respectfully at all times in a manner consistent with the UF Student Code of Conduct.
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application form, résumé/curriculum vitae, faculty mentor letter of recommendation, references and a 1-page personal statement describing their interests, career goals, and reasons for pursuing this internship to Education@cancer.ufl.edu.
Discover the Public Service Internship
Helping shape health policy
Since it began in 2019, the Public Service Internship has provided 13 UF graduate students with the opportunity to intern with the Federal Relations team in the University of Florida’s Washington, D.C. office. Learn more about how the program prepared recent interns for successful careers.
Fall 2025-Spring 2026 Intern
Ryan Athay is a master’s student of public health with a concentration in population health management and interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Spring 2025 Intern
Mary Kai Patterson is a master’s student of public health with a concentration in population health management and interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Fall 2024 Intern
Cameron M. Ghalayini is a master’s student in public health with a concentration in population health management and interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Spring 2024 Intern
Alexi Hernandez Alvarez is a master’s student in public health and interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Fall 2023 Intern
Shilpi Mistry is a master’s student in public health with a concentration in Epidemiology and interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Spring 2023 Intern
Beatriz Veronese is a doctoral candidate pursuing her Ph.D. in Medical Sciences with a major in Cancer Biology and interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Fall 2022 Interns
Sadeem Qdaisat, a doctoral candidate pursuing his PhD in Genetics and Genomics, at the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery – UF Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, with a focus on Clinical and Translational Science, is interning with Rep. Neal Dunn.
Aantaki Raisa, a doctoral student pursuing her PhD in Mass Communication, is interning with Rep. Darren Soto.
Spring 2022 Intern
Alexandra Sample, a master’s student in Public Health and Health Professions, interned with Rep. Darren Soto.
Fall 2021 Interns
Taylor Bell, a doctoral student pursuing his DNP in Nursing, with a concentration on Psych-Mental Health, interned with Rep. Darren Soto.
Maya Kedmi, a master’s student in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, interned with Rep. Kat Cammack.
Spring 2021 Intern
Joseph Washington, a PharmD/MPH Candidate in Pharmacy/Public Health & Health Professions, interned with Rep. Darren Soto.
Spring 2020 Interns
Donghee Lee, a doctoral student in Mass Communication with a concentration in health and science communication, interned with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Zachary Sandoval, a master’s student in Public Health with a concentration in health policy and management, interned with Rep. Darren Soto.
Fall 2019 Interns
Matthew R. Cretul Sr., a doctoral student in Mass Communication with a concentration in Health Communication, interned with Congressman Gus Bilirakis, who sits on both the Energy and Commerce and Veterans Affairs Committees.
Read more about his internship.
Juliette Barbera, a doctoral student in Political Science with concentrations in American Governmental Institutions; Public Policy & Administration; Methodology, interned with Rep. Darren Soto, who sits on the Energy & Commerce Committee & the Health Subcommittee.
Spring 2019 Intern
Fizza Imran, a second-year MPH student with a concentration in Public Health Management and Policy and 2018 graduate of the Bachelor of Public Health program, interned for the Spring 2019 semester as the UF Health Cancer Institute’s first cancer policy intern.
